A/N Uh oh...
Sorry guys. Sorry. SORRY. SOOOORRRYYYY. Man, I did not plan on making you guys wait so long. I really didn't. Depression is weird. I'm generally a happy person, but blahhh.
Anywho. At least I am updating, huh? I hope the updates to be more frequent from now on. This isn't long. But it's something. It'll get me back into the rhythm of things. And it shows that I still believe in Sherlock Ho... I mean this story.
Um, no warnings, I don't think.
I hope this is okay. I love you guys for sticking with me, and for giving such lovely feedback. It really helped me come back to this story.
The inner walls of the SHIELD facility in New Mexico were blindingly white. So were the floors actually. And the ceiling. Clint almost had to squint his eyes it was so bright. As he was led down the halls, he wondered at what exactly this field test was. He'd only arrived there the day prior, and he'd done nothing other than say "Sir" a lot.
"How's New York, Agent Barton?" Agent Brian Pierce's voice broke Clint from his thoughts. Pencil pusher. Desk jokey. Kind of a dick. Clint didn't really like the guy, but he ranked above him in SHIELD somehow. Though Barton was absolutely positive he could kick Pierce's ass any day.
"It's fine, sir. Repairs are still underway, but they're steady."
"That Asgardian was a real pain in our asses, wasn't he?" Pierce sent Clint a side glance as they continued to walk.
Clint nodded, "Yes sir. Good thing we took care of him." Emotionless. Show nothing. Clint was good at that when he needed to be. The two men stopped outside a door, Pierce tapping in a code on a side panel.
"Yes, about that..."
As the doors slid open with a slight hiss, Barton's eyes traveled the room filled with glass containment cells until his eyes landed on a familiar form.
And unconscious Loki lay strapped to a bed, and looked much like he did when Clint saw him in the god's dream only a few nights before, only now Loki looked even paler, if that were possible. His cheeks were gaunter, his breathing was stilted, and the red wound on his side was red and swollen, small red veins spreading outwards on his abdomen. Infected. Greasy, black hair was matted on his pillow, and his brow was covered in sweat. The black thread was still taut in his lips.
All of this information, Clint processed in seconds. Inwards, he felt a pang of sympathy for the god, which alone took him off guard. Sympathy for Loki. Weird. But, outwardly he remained blank, his eyes locked on the god. He only had seconds to form the correct emotion. As soon as he'd seen Loki, he knew that this was his test. Well, one thing he didn't have to lie about was his confusion.
"What the hell is this asshole doing here?!" Clint growled for effect.
Pierce had a small, smug smile on his face as he spoke. "Interesting, isn't it? He just showed up one night near a month ago. Took out several of my men. Threatened Dr. Foster. But..." he gazed at the god of mischief, his eyes almost glowing with glee "..he has given us valuable information. Information that will assist us if further Asgardians, or other alien races like them, attack Earth again."
Clint knew SHIELD wasn't the cleanest organization out there. He knew that they sometimes resorted to torture, but this? Then again, they didn't know what Clint knew now. Of Loki's control, or lack thereof, during the attack.
Keep up the act, Clint. If they see you act weak, you fail. And he could not afford to fail.
The archer pointed a finger at Loki and turned towards Pierce "That guy should be locked the fuck away, or dead!"
Pierce turned his gaze back on Barton, an eyebrow raised. "He is here. Under our supervision. Is that not enough, Agent?"
"Hell no. I don't want him anywhere on our planet.. sir."
The bespectacled agent straightened and clasped his hands behind his back. "Well, since we do not yet know how to operate the Einstein-Rosen bridge, or 'Bifrost' as it has been called, then there is no way we can send him back, now is there?"
Clint glowered, straightening his own posture and clenching his jaw. "No sir."
"So he might as well serve a purpose and be dealt a bit of his punishment while we have him. Doesn't that sound reasonable to you, Agent Barton?" Pierce's voice was getting annoyingly condescending, and Clint's anger was now becoming less acted and more real.
"Yes, sir"
A pause. Pierce's gaze on the archer was unnerving. Or frustrating. Or both. "Good man. Then you will stay here for some while. Those are orders from above."
Clint held back his shock. He was supposed to be in New York! His teammates were there... Nat was there. "May I ask why, Sir?"
Pierce stared back at the archer, his expression hard. "Orders are orders Agent. You will help guard the hostile until it is deemed acceptable that you return to your outpost in New York. Is that clear?"
Oh, how he wanted to deck Pierce. "Yes sir."
The SHIELD agent gave a small twitch of the lips, then clapped him on the back. "Good. Now, let's leave this thing, and find some lunch. I hear they're serving tacos in the cafeteria today."
The archer was silent as he was led out of the room, not casting a backwards glance at Loki. His mind was a whirl of emotions and plans. What was going on? What the hell was he supposed to do? and What was going to happen to Loki?
The god looked horrible, and Clint couldn't stop the tugging in his chest for Loki. Damn. Shit. Fuck. He shouldn't like Loki. He shouldn't want to help the murderer. But he did. Things had changed. Things were different.
What was Clint going to do? Would he do anything at all?
...
Everything hurt.
Everything.
Loki was nauseous, his brain rebelled against the bony cage of his skull, his stomach long ached for food and nourishment, and the wound on his side was excruciating. What was wrong with it? The mortals had continued to reopen it once it had nearly healed, prodding it until it was red and bleeding once more. Now it was swollen and painful. He'd never had this happen before. Asgardians (and apparently Frost Giants) healed quickly, a prolonged wound being a rare occurrence.
He hadn't meditated since he came to Midgard, and he certainly wasn't going to be able now, as much as he'd like to. Meditation often brought him peace, and gave him a place to escape to. Now all he had for an escape was his periods of sleep, or unconsciousness. He never saw the outside-there were no windows in this base that he could tell-so night and day were one color of white, and it disoriented his perception of time.
Opening his eyes, Loki attempted to sit up, but his wrists and ankles were strapped to the bed he was on. The effort he'd put into simply raising his head fatigued him much more than it should have. It shouldn't have bothered him at all! He was weak, and he hated it. No magic, no strength, not even allowed to heal, a natural bodily occurrence.
His brows furrowed as a thought occurred to him.
Death.
Asgardians lived immortal lives. They could die in battle, but... It was either a quick death or no death at all for those of Asgard.
Death.
Oh, Loki's cruelly sewn lips twisted up at the corners. Perhaps death would be the sweetest of choices.
How long would he have to wait? Would it be like the Void? He hoped not. Would he go to Valhalla? He doubted that. What would happen to him? Perhaps nothing at all.
"Loki..."
Oh. He'd fallen asleep. How lovely. And either he was dreaming of Barton, or Barton had once again somehow managed to focus his mortal mind enough to enter his dreams.
Odd though. He was still in his bed. Usually, his dreams were of either far worse days, or far better. He still felt the pain of his body, and he still felt awake...
"Loki, dammit, wake up"
Loki furrowed his brow and tilted his head to the side enough so he could see out the glass wall of his cage.
Barton stood there in his SHIELD uniform, looking like the day he'd first told the boy that somewhere in his chest, he had heart.
Loki attempted to speak, using his mind as per usual, but his lips tugged at string, and nothing was heard.
This was no dream.
The archer gave a weak smile and scrubbed at the back of his head. "Hey Sand man."
A/N: So there you have it. Sorry again for the obscenely long time it took to update. I was in a rut. Like a depressed rut. And... Twitter RP. I now have several accounts, and it's just like Fanfiction, only I don't have to think as hard! .
Anywho, I hope this was okay. Not great, but a start to getting me to updating again. Clint and Loki have finally met up! Le Gasp!
And no, this is not a romance. These two will not be falling in love. Friends, probably. No smoochy smoochy kiss kiss.
And I've seemed to lost track of time passage in this fic. Anybody want to tell me how much time has passed since the NY attack from the Avengers? I think it's like.. a few months? Oy...
Fun Fact: Loki loves music. What kind? Wait and find out on the next episode of Dragon B... Oh wait..